The inside of Dean's home as a hoarder (Image: Nottinghamshire County Council)

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A charity which helps compulsive hoarders battle their addictions has welcomed council funding to help tackle the issue.

Jigsaw Support Scheme, based in Mansfield, has been awarded £10,000 a year for three years from Nottinghamshire County Council to help provide support to hoarders who need help getting their life back on track.

The project helps people with a range of hoarding addictions such as food, paper collectors, clothes and even lawn mowers.

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Coordinator of the project Alison Waring, told the Post: "I think we have all got it in us. Hoarding is a way of life for some and is an addiction. It has got a stigma."

"One-and-a-half to six percent of the population is affected by hoarding in some way and it not only affects the hoarder but has a huge impact on their immediate family, friends and neighbours.

"This funding from Nottinghamshire County Council’s Local Improvement Scheme is essential to ensure we can continue the vital work we do in the community with local people affected by this."

She added the addiction can be a coping mechanism for loneliness or if they lose someone close to them or if they've experienced debt.

A picture of the inside of Dean's house when his hoarding was at its worst (Image: Nottinghamshire County Council)

One hoarder, known as 'Dean', from Selston, has been helped by Jigsaw and said the charity was his "lifeline".

He said: "My parents had passed away so I was living at home and suffered a stroke. I had nobody in the world.

"I came out of hospital and I just couldn’t cope or keep my property tidy. My hoarding addiction became worse and many rooms in my house were unusable.

"I couldn’t access my bed and I was sleeping on a mattress on the floor. I was under the threat of eviction. It was an extremely worrying and bad time in my life and could see no end to it."

With the help of Jigsaw, Dean has removed two skips full of collections and is "starting to feel more positive about life again".

The inside of Dean's home as a hoarder (Image: Nottinghamshire County Council)

Councillor Gordon Wheeler, vice-chairman of the communities and place committee, at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: "We are very pleased that we have been able to support such a worthwhile project.

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"Jigsaw really does change lives and helps people to live with their hoarding addiction while improving their living environment."

Councillor Joyce Bosnjak, from Nottinghamshire County Council, who supported the application for funding, said: "Jigsaw is well known locally for the tremendous work it does to transform people’s lives.

"I supported the application for funding for the charity so that it could continue with its excellent work in the local community."